Bruce Popper, a Rochester Area Labor Federation officer and a vice president for 1199 SEIU sent this eyewitness report at 1:15 this morning.

At the time of the arrests, there were at least 150 people in the park. They moved to the sidewalk when phalanxes of police entered and threatened arrest just before 12 midnight. Approximately 20 protesters had signed up to stay in the park and be arrested. Police quickly hand cuffed them and removed them from the site. This brings the total of those arrested in Rochester to around 50 since last Friday.

The arrests have been ordered by Mayor Tom Richards. The entire labor movement is incensed at the Mayor’s repression of free speech and peaceful protest here. It is clearly politically motivated. Richards is a former corporate CEO and Bob Duffy’s hand picked successor.

Popper reported that these arrests came after hundreds of supporters marched to City Hall on Wednesday.